Desiccator



Ma'rch s, 1927. 1,620,289

G. B. RIDLEY DESCCATOR 'original Filed oct. 22. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 1 33if' .1. .I y l 34 1,620,28 March 8 1927' G. B. RIDLEY 9 DESI CCATOROriginal Filed Oct. 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n j ,mf r f y' ATToRN s,`

Patented Mar. 8, 1927.

UNITED ES;

PATENT aerien.

GRAHAME B. RIDLEYJ, OF' SAN FRANGISCQ. CALIFORNIA", ASSXGNOR T0.EDWARD.' B;

WARD, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. c

DESICCATOR.

Original application filed October 582,v 1924, .Serial No. 745,103.Divided and this application led. 311117.13,

This invention relatesto a desiccator and a method. of operatingthesame,andparticularly pertains to means fory dehydrating material in bulk asdisclosedin my application entitled Method of dehydration and apparatustherefor, Iiled October 22,1924, SerialvNo. 745,103,zandof which thepresent application is a division.

It is the principal. object of the present invention to provide adesiccator of the bin type within which material may be placed in bulkand by which the material` may be rapidly and thoroughly dehydrated, theinvention being particularly applicable to fruits, nuts and vegetables.y

The present invention contemplates the use of a. binv or a plurality. ofbins within which bulk material may he placed, and through. which saidmaterial has a gravity fiow,.thc binstructurebeing in communication withan air heatingY structure, whereby acurrent ot air may` be passedthrough the bulk material. in. either a: direction with orcountercurrent to the path of travel of the materialbeing dried.

The. invention is illiistratedby way ot ex ample in# the accompanyingrdrawings in which: Y

Fig.4 1 is a.v view in side elevation showing the complete.desiccatingapparatus.

Fig. 2v is a viewin-plan showing the device disclosed in. Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in'. side elevationshowing the bin. with parts brokenaway for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 4 is a view infvertical section through the control chamber of( theheater as seen on the line 4-4`of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is aview in vertical section. through the heater asseen on theline 5 5 ot Fig. 2.

Referring morefparticularly to the draw ings, 10` indicates a. furnacestructure and 11 indicates a dryingbin in communication therewith andthrough which bin heated air may be circulated in alternatedirections,the communication beingestablished between the furnacestructure and the binby an upper air pipe 12 and ailower air pipe 13.

The furnace as more clearly shown in Fig. 5 ot" the drawings, comprisesav iireboX 15. supplied with a suitableheatingmedium such as the oilburner 16 by which a-tlame is projected into the irebox. The irebox isin communication with a. flue 17 leading Serial No. 43,197.

to the stack 18. An air jacket 19 encloses the fireboX 15. An-inlet'port 20 is 'orme'd in one side wall of the air jacket and an outletport. 21 is formed in another side wall of4 this jacket.

The outlet port' is in communication with a rotary blower structure 22by which air will be drawn 'from the air jacket' and de-y liveredy to ahot air duct 23 to a control chamber 24.. As shown in Fig. 1- of. thedrawing, it will be seen that the control chamber 24 andthe furnacestructure are disposedalongside of each-other, and it will be seen thatall'- air being. delivered to or from the furnace must. ot necessitypass throughthe control chamber 24"before reachingthe air pipes 12er 13.

Disposed on the opposite side of the control chamber 24. from the inletlduct 23 is an air duct 25 which establishes communication betweenanopening 26 in the-side of the control chamber and port120 in the sidewall of the air chamber oi the furnace. By reference to Fig. 4'` of; thedrawings, it will be seen that the opening. 26'in the side wall l oiflthe control chamber' is substantially diametrically opposite to theopening 27 in the opposite sidewall ofV the control'chamber and whichopening'is ink communication with the hot air duct' 251 The pipe 12 isshown in. Fig. 4 as being in communication with the top of the con@ trolchamber 24,. while the pipe 13is shown as being in communication withthe con.- trol chamber'at a` point' near its bottom or at least at. apoint below the plane of the side openings 26 and2?. The control chamberis equipped. with. a damper 28 pivotall'y mounted.` within the chambersubstantially midway between the openings 26 and 27', the dimensions oilsaid damper` being such as to cause the damper to extend diagonally otthe chamber when striking the opposite side walls thereof' at pointsabove and below the openings 26. and 27', as the case may be, so thatthe control chamber 24 will be divided into two compartments betweenwhich an inclined partition. wall is formed by thedamper, and whichdamper is thus disposed in-the paths of-travelofthe incoming and`outgoingY air passing through openings 26'and 27'to divert theairi alongits desired course. By this arrangement the ,control chamber with itsdamper alterwhich bulk materials may be placed, induction and eductionports in the top and bottom of said bin, a foraminous floor within thebin to support bulk material above the bottom of the bin, an air heater,means for creating a circulation of said heated air through the bin froman induction port to an eduction port, control means for permitting amixing and replenishing of the air drawn from the bin by fresh air, andmeans interposed vbetween the bin and the air heater for optionallyreversing the direction of flow of the air circulating through the bin.

2. A desiccator comprising a bin within which bulk material may beplaced, a hot air furnace by which air may be heated for circulationthrough the bin, a control chambcr interposed between the air furnaceand the bin and in communication with the furnace, pipes connected withthe control chamber, one of said pipes communicating with the upper endof the bin and the pipe communicating with the lower end thereof, and

means within the control chamber whereby a circula-tion of air may beset up through the bin, the control chamber and the furnace.

3. A desiccator comprising a bin within which bulk material may beplaced, a hot air furnace by which air may be heated for circulationthrough the bin, a control chamber interposed between the air furnaceand the bin and in communication with the furnace, pipes connected withthe control chamber, one of said pipes communicating with the upper endof the bin and the pipe communicating with the lower end thereof. meanswithin the control chamber whereby a circulation of air may be set upthrough the bin, the control chamber and the furnace, and means wherebythe direction of `How of the circula-ting air may be changed in thecontrol chamber to cause a corresponding change of direction of flowthrough the bin.

GRAHAME B. RIDLEY.

